Running board



Nov. 5, 1935. G. F, cAvANAGH RUNNING BOARD Filed April 29, 1952 Patented Nov. t 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUNNING BOARD Gerald F. Cavanagh, Euelidyohio, assignor to The Ohio Rubber Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 29, 1932, seria1No.'60s,244

5 claims. (01.280-163) This invention relates generally to composite articles, and more particularly to a novel and improved form of vehicle running board.

It is an object ofrmy invention to provide an improved vehicle running board wherein a nonrmetallic tread or covering is extended over a A further object of my invention is to provide a vehicle running board of the typeY referred to, wherein the metal body Vhas a depending front flange Ywith a laterally projecting hollow bead along its lower edge, and wherein the Vrubber tread extends around the bead and is formed with an integral "enlarged tongue lling the hollow of the bead.

The invention may be further brieiiyv summarized as consisting in certain novel zcombinations and arrangements of parts herein described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a running board constructed according to my invention; s

Fig. 2` is 'a' transverse sectional view thereof taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken through the front flangeof theirunning board of Fig. l

`but .showing a metal sheath applied to the `hollow Fig. 4 is apartial sectionalview similar to Fig..3 but illustrating another manner of applying the metal sheath; 1

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another running boardvr constructed according to my invention; and

Fig. 6 isl a transverse sectional View thereof taken online 6 6 of Fig.,5. i Y

Detailedy reference will now be made. to the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated preferred forms of my improved running board construction. It should be understood, however, that the invention may beembodied in various other forms of running boards than those herein illustrated.

Asishown in Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawing, my improved Vrunning boardv comprises a metallic body Illand a non-metallic tread or covering II- which extends over and is secured to the metal body.

The metal body may be of any suitablesize or shape, but is preferably quadrangular in form, as shown in Fig. 1, and is preferably constructed as a sheet metalv stamping by means of suitable dies or forming apparatus. In constructing the metal body, I prefer to use sheet metal stock known as commercial hot-passed steel because this material possesses an inherently rough or porous surfaceto which the non-metallic covering I I can be readily made'to adhere.

As illustrated in the drawing, this metal body maybe formed with a substantially horizontally 'extending top portion I2, and with depending llanges I 3" atrthe ends thereof for connection with portions of a vehicle body, such as the front and rear fenders.l The metal body is also provided with a depending flange I4 extending along 4the inner edge thereof for connection with the splash parlor other suitable portion of the vehicle body, and' with a depending arcuate flange I5 extending along its front or outer edge. At the junction of the anges I3 and I4 with the transversely extending top I2, the metal body is preferably provided with upstanding or elevated beads IB -which denne a pan-like depressio-n in the top surfaceY of thefrunning board having the transversely extending top I2 and the arcuate flange I5 as its bottom wall. Along the lower edge of the frontange I5I provide a longitudinally extending hollow bead I1 which projects laterally outwardly beyond the curved upper portion of this In forming thishollow bead, the metal flange. is reversely bent, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, to form the longitudinally extending groove I8, and is curved around to provide the'bead with a longitudinally extending recess vin the reverse side thereof. InV curving the metal around to form Ythe hollow bead-the extreme edge I9 is so disable non-metallic material, but is preferably Y portion I2 and is carried down upon the flanges I3, I4 and I5. In carrying the rubber down upon the flanges I3 and I4 it may be desirable to extend the rubber laterally to form the extensions which cover the extreme edges of these flanges. Likewise, it may be desirable to extend some of the rubber into the openings 2| which are provided in the flanges I3 and I4 for clamping bolts, so that the rubber'forms a cover 22 for the edges of these openings, and-at the same time provides gaskets around the clamping bolts which extend through the openings.

According to my invention, the rubber covering which is extended down upon the front flange I5 is carried around the exterior .of the hollow bead I1 and around the edge I9 thereoffas-showncin Fig. 2, and extended into the recess in the reverse side of this bead. During the vulcanizing operation, the rubber covering is molded into the re- Cess of the bead I1, thereby forming -a'longitudinally extending integral thickened portion 23 constituting a substantial body of rubber in which the edge I9 of themetal bodyis embedded. In molding the rubber into` the recess of the bead, the thickened integral portion 23 .substantially fills the recess and, as indicated in Fig. 2, forms a tongue which is retained Ain the bead because of .the reducedwidth of the longitudinally extending slot. It willbe seen from the arrangement just described, that the thickened integral Aportion molded into the recess of the bead, not onlyprovides a substantial body .of rubber in which the extreme ,edge I9 of the metal body is embedded, butalsoprovides a locking tongue which is retaineddn the recess of thebead and thereby.

prevents'theedge. of the rubber covering from being torn loose from the metalbody.

In Fig. 3 .of the .drawing I have shown how a longitudinally. extending sheath or binding strip 25 may be applied to theLbead I1 over the rubber covering .of the latter. This sheath maybe of any appropriate material, but Vis vpreferablyjformed of a 4soft metal, such asY zinc, and `is coated with chromium or .other substance capable of providing an attractive. and wear-resisting finish. In applying this sheath, the edge 26 of a rcurved metal .strip is hooked into the longitudinally extending groove I8 and is pressed against the rubber covering lying inthis groove while the .body of the strip is bent or curvedaround the rubber covered lbeadloy a suitable operation, suchas a rollingoperation, the extreme edge 21 of the metal strip being bent upwardly at a point inwardly of the bead and thenpressed outwardly against the'integral thickened body of rubber 23 to retain the sheath in place.

When a metal sheath is applied to the front edge of the running board, this sheath acts Aas a;

clamping means for preventing the edgeof the rubber coveringfrom being torn loose, and, accordingly, on those running Yboards to which metal sheaths are to be applied, the thickened body of rubber'23 shown in'Figs. 2 and3 .may be omitted. When this thickened portion of the rubber covering is omitted, the metal sheath may bepplied, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, byfhooking the edge 28 of the metal sheath over the topof the rubber covered. bead 29 and bending.or.deflecting the sheath, .asby'a suitable rolling operation, .around the rubber covered bead with vthe extreme edge 3l) of the sheath deflected outwardlyfinto the recess ofthebeadand pressed againstthereverse side :of the extreme edge 3| ofthe metal body.

g YIn Eigs. 5 ando ofthe drawing@ haveshown another vehicle running board embodying my invention and comprising a metal body 32 having a rubber covering or tread 33 extending over and attached to the same. This metal body is provided with depending flanges 34 at its ends,

The rubber covering or tread 33 is vulcanized in contact with the metal body, and is thereby rmly andsubstantially uniformly connected to the metal. This rubber covering is extended down upon the ilangesr34 and 35, and is also carried down upon the arcuate front flange 36. According to my invention, the portion of the rubber covering whichv is carried down upon the front flange is extended around the edge portion or lip 31 and is carried upwardly in contact with the reverse side .of the metal body in the form of. a thickened longitudinally extending body-of rubber .38. Sinceithe lip 31 is embedded in this thickened integral body of rubber, as shownin Fig. .6 .of .the drawing, and the rubber is-attached to both surfaces of the metal body at this point, it will be seen that a reliable connection between the rubber and the metal will be provided along the front edge of the, running board, such that Athe rubber covering will not be readily torn loose.

In the running `board -constructions which I have. illustrated, the upper surface of, the rubber coverings may,l if desired.be molded during the vulcanizing operation to provide the upstanding marginal'bead .and tov provide va suitable surface pattern orv configuration within-this marginal bead, such as the ribbed patterns illustrated in the drawing.

` It should now. be readily understood from the foregoing description .and accompanying drawingjthatI haveprovided a novel and improved formwofrunning board .Whereina non-metallic tread'extendingover a metal body is provided '.witna thickened.integral'portion in .which an edge of the metalbody is embedded. alsobe readily-seenv .that I have provided an improved formof. running board wherein the. metal body isprovidedwth ahollow .bead extending along the lower edge of. its front flange,.and with a rubber covering ortread which extends over the metal Vbody and is ,prevented lfrom .being torn Vloose along the exposed front edge ofthe running boardby extending therubber covering around the `hollow bead and into the recess thereof.

With the novel runningbcard construction which I have provided the extreme lower front .edge or lip of the metal body of the runningboard is embedded'in a substantial body of rubber which is vulcanizedto,bothsurfaces of the metal body, therebyaffording a ystrong and reliable connection between the rubber covering and the. metal body at thisl point.

'While I have illustrated and described the im- .proved device of my invention ina detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that I do not intend tov limit myself to the/precise details of construction-...and arrangements of parts illustrated and described, but regard my invention as includingsuchvchanges and modifications as do not involvefaadeparture from the spirit of the vinvention .andthe scope of the appended claims.

Havingl thus-:described my invention, .I claim: 1. A running board comprising an elongated sheet -metal body havingV a dependingilange ex- .It will.

tending along the front edge thereof and an integrally formed bead at the lower edge of said flange, said bead being formed with a recess in the reverse side thereof and with a slot of reduced width communicating with said recess, and

. facing laterally inward and rubber covering vulcanized to said metal body and to said ange, said covering being carried around the exterior of said bead and into` said slot and having an integral locking tongue molded into and substantially filling said recess.

2. A running board comprising a sheet metal body having an angularly disposed ange along one edge thereof and a hollow bead extending along the free edge of said flange, a non-metallic tread extending over and substantially uniform- 1y attached to said body, said tread being extended over said flange and carried around the free edge thereof and extended into the hollow of said bead, and a metallic member extendingV extended over the exterior of said bead and around into the hollow of the bead, and a metallic sheath extending around said bead in engagement with the rubber covering thereof.

4. A running board comprising a sheet metal body having atop and provided at one edge thereof with a depending fiange the lower portion of which constitutes a hollow bead, a non-metallic tread extending over at least a portion of Vsaid top and alsoV extending downV upon said flange and over the exterior of said bead, and a metal sheath mounted on said bead and extending over the portion of the non-metallic tread thereon and around the rear of the bead.

5. A running board comprising a sheet metal 15 body having a downturned front flange provided at its lower edge with a bead which projects laterally outward from the ange, said bead having a recess in the back thereof opening laterally inon the metal lbody.

GERALD F. CAVANAGH.

ward, and a rubber covering extending over the 20 

